Fractal Epoch XL Black TG Light Tint Review @ Vortez
Club386 presents the Fractal Design Epoch XL as a spacious, airflow focused mid tower that scales up the original Epoch into a 61 liter enclosure aimed at high end, tidy builds. The black TG light tint version they review pairs a lightly tinted tempered glass side panel with a flat mesh front inspired by Meshify, plus a ventilated top panel and rubberized feet. Inside, the chassis supports E ATX (up to 275 mm), ATX, micro ATX and mini ITX motherboards, including modern back connector designs from ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte, and offers generous clearances for hardware: up to 425 mm GPUs, 176 mm air coolers and up to 360 mm radiators in both the front and top. Cooling is a clear selling point, with three 140 mm Momentum 14 RGB fans pre installed at the front and mounts for a total of seven 120 mm or five 140 mm fans, while the top I O includes a 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports and an audio combo jack. Build experience is described as mostly smooth thanks to roomy internals, well placed rubber grommets, plenty of Velcro straps, a removable PSU bracket and easy to remove HDD and SSD brackets.
Designed with strong thermal performance in mind, the Epoch XL features ventilated mesh front and top panels and includes three Momentum 14 fans with LCP blades for quiet, efficient airflow. Support for up to 360 mm radiators in both the front and top, along with GPU clearance up to 425 mm, ensures compatibility with today’s highest-performance components.
In testing with a Ryzen 9 9950X3D and RTX 3080, Epoch XL delivers strong cooling and low noise that compare well against other mid tower competitors. The mesh intake and trio of front 140 mm fans keep CPU and GPU temperatures in check, and noise remains barely audible at low to moderate fan speeds, only ramping up significantly at full RPM where it becomes better suited to heavy rendering or gaming with a headset. Value is a major part of the verdict: starting around 110 British pounds for the base non RGB models and about 130 pounds for the RGB glass version, Club386 calls it “a lot of case” for the money and awards a Club386 Approved badge. Their main criticisms are fairly minor: the PSU compartment can feel cramped if both 3.5 inch drive cages are installed, the front dust filter is basic, the side panels rely on thumbscrews rather than quick release, and the sliding top panel can come off too easily if knocked. Overall, they see Epoch XL as a big, well built and no nonsense airflow tower that blends tidy looks, easy building and robust cooling at a very agreeable price.
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